ILOILO CITY — The Boracay Sea Dragons weathered a late surge by Boracay All Stars to put an end to their sister team’s back-to-back title aspirations in the finals of the DoubleDragon Boat Race 2014 men’s event on Saturday at the Iloilo River Wharf.
The Sea Dragons got off to a strong start and managed to maintain a wide gap just enough for them to escape with the victory against the All Stars.
The Boracay Sea Dragons clocked 43.45 seconds, over half a second over the All Stars (43.97), while the Bohol Paddlers finished third in 44.96 seconds.
Boracay All Stars team spokesperson and veteran paddler Francis “Kiko” Rustia said they have nothing to be ashamed of after ceding the title to the Sea Dragons by the skin of their teeth.
“Kasi, like what I’ve been telling people throughout this competition, this is a passion for us. It’s not just a sports team. We’re not just a team, but we’re a family,” said Rustia, who has been with the highly-touted Boracay All Stars since 2004.
In the end, Rustia said they are not out for the bragging rights, but as a team, they try to live out the principle of camaraderie, brotherhood and sportsmanship.
“As much as possible, we try to eliminate the competition in our heads because it’s supposed to promote camaraderie, brotherhood, sportsmanship, so talagang fun lang, just give it your all and have fun. Iyun ang secret namin,” added the 32-year-old Rustia, who produces the TV program Dis Is Pinas on GMA News TV.
In the distaff side, the Philippine Marines dominated the race from start to finish to capture the championship in 58.2 seconds.
Manila Wave (1:03.1) and Philippine Titans (1:06.19) placed second and third, respectively.
On the other hand, the Boracay All Stars made up for its huge loss in the men’s event after ruling the mixed category for the second straight year.
The All Stars, composed of 20 of their best male and female paddlers, posted a time of 44.57 seconds, while the Marines clocked 45.59 and the captured third place at 46.54.
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